Socket bayonet for use with the 17.78 mm. (.70 caliber) flintlock Model 1808 infantry musket. Russia patterned the Model 1808 musket after the French Model 1777 Charleville musket. The Model 1808 is often referred to as the “Tula Musket,” as Russia’s Tula Arsenal produced nearly all of them.

Patterned after the French M1777 AN IX socket bayonet (AN IX represents Year 9 in the French Republican Calendar, denoting an improvement introduced in 1800), the Russian Model 1808 bayonet is unusual in having a medial locking ring on an unbridged socket. Russia adopted an improved bayonet in 1826–28 that included a bridge to prevent deformation of the socket. The unbridged socket dates this example to 1808–1825. There was no scabbard produced, the bayonet remaining fixed to the musket at all times.

The Model 1808 was the standard Russian Army infantry musket and bayonet in the Napoleonic Wars, seeing extensive combat during Napoleon’s 1812 Invasion of Russia. In response to the invasion, Tula Arsenal produced 500,000 Model 1808 muskets 1812–15. The Invasion of Russia was the turning point in the Napoleonic Wars that ended Napoleon’s invincibility. The Battle of Borodino outside of Moscow was the deadliest single day of combat during the 12-years of Napoleonic War, resulting in over 70,000 casualties. Napoleon’s retreat from Moscow during the Russian winter destroyed what was left of his Army. While Napoleon would rebuild his army and campaign in central Europe in an attempt to regain power, these attempts failed culminating in his defeat at the Battle of Waterloo and forced exile to St. Helena in 1815.

Model 1808 muskets and bayonets also likely accompanied Russian personnel who established Fort Ross, in 1812, along the northern California coast. Fort Ross was the only Russian outpost in what would later become the continental United States.

Russia did not supply a scabbard, preferring that soldiers keep the bayonet fixed all of the time. However, Finland, Germany, and Austria manufactured scabbards for use with bayonets captured from the Russians.

Socket bayonet for use with the 7.62 mm. Mosin-Nagant M1891 Dragoon rifle. The Panshin is an early variant of the M1891/30 bayonet, intended for use by mounted cavalry.

This example was made 1930–32 at the Tula Arsenal.

Col. P.K. Panshin designed the sight hood to protect the front sight of rifles used by the cavalry. However, the government decided to make the sight hood standard on all M1891/30 rifles instead.

As a result, few hooded bayonets were produced. Most had the hood removed during the Second World War, since the hooded bayonet would not mount to a hooded rifle. Examples with the hood intact are quite scarce today.

The M1891/30 bayonet has a press stud to secure the bayonet in place, rather than the locking ring of the M1891.

This example is typical of crude wartime production, with heavy tool marks.

16.875

429

19.75

502

.580

14.7

None.

M1891/30

This example has been refurbished, as evidenced by the square with diagonal slash refurb mark. Many of the wartime tool marks were cleaned up during the refurbishment process.

17.00

432

19.812

503

.585

14.9

Elbow: "13657" and refurb mark

M1940

Knife bayonet for use with the 7.62 mm. Tokarev SVT–40 self-loading rifle that saw limited use during the Second World War. This was the first Russian knife bayonet and its influence is evident in the later SKS and AK47 bayonets.

The M1940 bayonet is unique in having a sheath surrounding the press stud to prevent the fixed bayonet from being inadvertently detached. This proved a solution to a non-existent problem and was dropped from future Russian designs. This example has gone through arsenal overhaul, as evidenced by the rich deep blued finish.

The scabbard is of the second type, with the flattened tip, rather than a ball tip. The scabbard has a pigskin leather belt hanger.

The blade folds underneath and stows in a cutout area in the rifle's forestock.

9.50

241

12.00

305

.550

14.0

None.

6X2 (AK47)

Knife bayonet for use with the 7.62 mm. Kalashnikov AK47 assault rifle.

Produced 1953–59 at the Izhevsk Arsenal, Izhevsk, Russia.

The reason for the unusual grip and second partial muzzle ring was that the bayonet was an afterthought, the AK47 not being initially designed to accept a bayonet.

The steel scabbard is a clone of the later M1940 SVT scabbard. Russian scabbards typically have a drain hole on the front side of the scabbard. It has an integral web belt hanger with a leather hilt strap. The olive green web belt hanger measures 4.125 in. (105 mm.) long by 0.50 in. (19 mm.) wide.

Crosspiece (right): "11" inside an oval and "OB" in a diamond (inspection marks)

Guide Lug: triangle (Izhevsk mark)

Scabbard (body): "5350" (lined out) and Arrow inside triangle

Scabbard (anvil): "5079"

6X4 (AKM Type II)

Knife bayonet for use with the Kalashnikov 7.62 mm. AKM and 5.45 mm. AK74 assault rifles.

Orange plastic grip. The Type II scabbard has an orange plastic body. The brightly-colored plastic is often referred to as bakelite, although it is a modern polymer. The brown pebble-grained leather belt hanger and tan web retention strap are similar to those used on the 6X3 bayonet.

Although the maker mark has worn away, the "2/2" mold mark identifies it as having been made at the Izhevsk Arsenal, Izhevsk, Russia. The Tula arsenal used a hyphen in their mold mark. The 6X4 bayonet was produced from the late-1960s–1983.

This example was brought back from the first Gulf War, Afghanistan, or some other foreign hotspot prior to the U.S. invasion of Iraq.

The bayonet and scabbard had fine sand/silt in all of its nooks and crannies. A portion of the belt loop is missing, as if the bayonet had been yanked off of it's former owner's belt. The partial belt hanger measures 3.875 in. (98 mm.) in length.

The seller I obtained it from indicated that he had purchased it in 2002 from a shop in VA, which he described as being a place "known to do a lot of business with SEALS from Little Creek." He indicated that "he had seen fellas getting out of service bring duffel bags full of 'neat stuff' by there to unload for a few bucks prior to separation" (he had no reason to embellish the story, as his asking price was a fraction of what this bayonet would have brought at auction).

This AKM Type II example has been reworked, showing evidence of little use since reworking. The plastic and painted parts are coated in a clear lacquer. The blade was still in the grease when I obtained it.

The bayonet was made at the Izhevsk Arsenal, while the scabbard was made at the Tula Arsenal.